Going the Distance (6) (Tales from Foster High (Harmony Ink))

Daniel Devin Monroe, basketball extraordinaire... gay, confused, basketball extraordinaire.Life can be confusing when you lose your mother at five and you're left with a befuddled, twenty-three-year-old Marine dad to figure out this gig called parenthood, which at the best of times is a raging trial-and-error cluster$#*&. Toss in a son who begins to notice his growing attraction for boys at the ripe old age of eleven and life can get complicated, fast. Through a series of mixed signals, Danny begins to get the impression that being gay is not the way for a Marine's son to be. The one steady constant in his life, his touchstone, is his dad and he'd rather die than disappoint him. And so Danny does the only thing a devoted, loving son can do... he sets himself on a course to NOT be gay. His answer to that is to throw himself heart and soul into basketball.In this first book of the Fadeaway series, we grow up with Danny. We live with his confusion, his insecurity, and his anger at himself for his inability to be "normal." John Goode does an amazing job of putting the reader right at the center of Danny's universe. We feel Danny's turmoil, pain, and frustration acutely. We laugh, we rage and scream, and we love right along with him.But it wasn't just Danny that made this book such an amazing read. Turns out John Monroe, Danny's dad, is a pretty incredible stand-up kind of guy... what he lacks in communication skills, he more than makes up for in loving his son, just the way he is. And Nate, as Danny's big-brother best friend is a treasure for any young gay man trying to figure out life and how he fits in.Read this book! You will laugh, you will cry, and you will fall in love with these characters. Walk in Danny's shoes as he engages in adolescent and teenage antics and experiences tragic events that threaten to derail his hopes and dreams. I'm diving headlong into book two... right now.

So 5 star fabulous!In general I have to say that I think its remarkable that John can create such life-like characters, they are so real. I love them like friends/children, etc.Danny was too adorable. I loved that he was awkward and shy and sweet. My heart broke for him on more than one occasion. I wanted to defend him and protect him and yes, there were a few times when I wanted to shake him. I think that's the measure of great writing--feeling the entire rainbow of emotions, that's what real life is like. I think this one hit me a little different than the others I have read, I think someone else--maybe Julie? mentioned this as well...that as a mom, this is tough to read.It's especially hard to read about a child feeling like they have disappointed their parent or that their parent is disappointed because of who they are and the intense desire to just be anything other than who you are for fear that you will let someone down, or have to give up something you love or just in general be shunned. It kind of took a toll on my poor little heart. Danny's dad, though at first a real ...ugh...turned out to be pretty fantastic. And Nate...gah! Where can I find one of him? Absolute best kind of friend to have, just loved it.I think readers will definitely run through every possible emotion when reading this, but even when disappointed in Danny's decisions--and he made a few I wasn't fond of, you still love him and want him to be happy.Waiting patiently for the continuation.

John Goode is a remarkable writer. I have been following the Tales of Foster High series and love them so I had to read this too. It is about Danny a military brat raised by his father. Used to moving so often he doesn't know how to connect with other people well and make friends. You follow him through his emotions and how to deal living with his dad and how to please him. Feeling like he has let him down for things he cannot explain or just doesn't want to deal with, he immerses himself in basketball and realises how much he loves it. The details in the emotions are so captivating. You want to just shake him sometimes. It was a rollercoaster that I am looking forward to again with the sequel.

Another great story from the writer. I liked how he's tied into the other characters in Foster High, yet has his own unique story. Often writers will just change names and places and tell the same story over again. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

This story doesn't actually end, it grinds to a halt. The beginning and first 60 - 70% held my interest. It's a coming of age story for a young man learning to deal with his sexuality. Unfortunately, Danny never learns. It was frustrating to have the story carefully feed information to Danny and then see him continue to ignore it. I continued to read to the end, thinking there would be an "ahah" moment for Danny to see his true self, but ... no, there is nothing. Just more awkward blind focus. This is book 1, so I assume there is or will be a book 2, but this was such a trial and ends so poorly I have no interest in reading anything more about Danny. It could have been a good story, but it's not. I think the author lost his muse along the way and stumbled around trying to end it.

What can I say that hasn't been said? Nada. This is another wonderful book by John. I only wish book two were available to snatch up while I'm still in Danny, Nate's and Danny's Dad heads... Please hurry John.... :o)